*If you do, the children will be returned to Spain safely.*

*If you do not, the authorities will receive the original Sarrià files, and you will never see them again.*

“You have the children?” Lucía whispered, her eyes widening.

I did not answer her.

I positioned my cursor over the send button.

Once I clicked this, Alvaro would know exactly what he had to lose.

But before my finger could press the key, the burner phone in my hand began to flash with an incoming call.

The screen showed Matthew’s private number.

I pressed the button and held the phone to my ear.

“Inés,” Matthew’s voice said, drowned out by the sound of heavy rain and wind.

“I have the box from Sarrià.”

“Are you safe?” I asked.

“No,” he said, his breath coming in short, ragged gasps. “They are right behind me. I had to—”

A loud crash cut him off, followed by the sound of breaking glass.

The line went dead.

At the same instant, a new message flashed on the laptop screen.

It was an alert from the security system at the Segovia cottage.